The One by Réal Laplaine

The One by Réal Laplaine

The One, the third installment of the Keeno Crime Thriller Novels, written by Réal Laplaine, finds protagonist Keeno McCole at the center of yet another mystery, this one more dangerous than ever. Investigating the murder of the Prime Minister’s niece, Keeno finds himself caught up in the midst of a dangerous cult and threats to his country. As a part of the ATU (anti-terrorism unit), Keeno has seen it all, but this case proves to be trickier than the others, involving domestic terrorism, a menacing religious cult with an exorbitant amount of power, and the national news media. Keeno and his team must solve this case, before more get hurt, but the further down the rabbit hole they go, the more insidious the case becomes.

There is no doubt that Réal Laplaine can create a nail-biting mystery. The more you read The One, the more suspicious you get, and the more desperate you get for a resolution. The story keeps its reader on their toes, and nothing is easily predicted. That’s the real draw of The One—how unpredictable it can be. The writing is strong, the plot even stronger, and the ending will keep the reader up at night. The only possible weakness comes from the minor characters, who become more caricatures than actual, fleshed-out participants in the story. Where Keeno and his case shine, the rest of the cast fades into the snowy, bleak background. The One finds its strength in the many moving parts of the story, which accounts for any flaws present. A thriller to the end, The One will satiate even the pickiest of crime novel readers.